Conventionally, in a communication system, a communication apparatus performing wireless communication may execute scanning for searching for a connection destination.
However, in executing the scanning, if such a conventional communication apparatus cannot receive a response signal from a scan target, the scan target repeatedly transmits the response signal, thus causing fruitless transmission and reception.
Therefore, a feature of the exemplary embodiments provides a communication system, a communication apparatus, a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a communication program, and a communication method that are capable of suppressing fruitless communication caused when a communication apparatus searches for another communication apparatus.
The exemplary embodiments have the following aspects in order to solve the above problem.
A communication system according to one aspect of the exemplary embodiments includes: a search communication apparatus which searches for another communication apparatus; and a search subject communication apparatus which is searched for by the search communication apparatus. The search communication apparatus comprises a search request transmission section configured to transmit a search request signal. The search subject communication apparatus comprises: a search request reception section configured to receive the search request signal transmitted from the search communication apparatus; and a search response transmission section configured to transmit a search response signal which is a response to the search request signal received by the search request reception section, to the search communication apparatus. The search communication apparatus further comprises a search response reception section configured to receive the search response signal transmitted from the search subject communication apparatus. The search request transmission section transmits information indicating a transmission enabled period in which the search response transmission section can transmit the search response signal.
According to the above aspect, the information indicating the transmission enabled period in which the search response transmission section can transmit the search response signal is transmitted from the search communication apparatus. Therefore, occurrence of fruitless communication can be prevented.
In another aspect, the search request transmission section may transmit the search request signal that includes information about a valid period which indicates the transmission enabled period. In this case, the search response transmission section transmits the search response signal to the search communication apparatus, in the valid period.
According to the above aspect, the transmission enabled period in which the search response transmission section can transmit the search response signal is limited to the valid period included in the search request signal received by the search subject communication apparatus. Therefore, the search subject communication apparatus will not continue to transmit the search response signal in vain, thereby preventing fruitless communication.
In another aspect, the search request transmission section may transmit a search completion notification signal indicating that search request has been finished, as information indicating the transmission enabled period. In this case, the search request reception section receives the search completion notification signal transmitted from the search communication apparatus. The search response transmission section transmits the search response signal to the search communication apparatus in the period from when the search request reception section has received the search request signal to when the search request reception section receives the search completion notification signal.
According to the above aspect, the transmission enabled period in which the search response transmission section can transmit the search response signal is limited to the period from when the search request reception section has received the search request signal to when the search request reception section receives the search completion notification signal. Therefore, the search subject communication apparatus will not continue to transmit the search response signal in vain, thereby preventing fruitless communication.
In another aspect, the search communication apparatus may further comprise a channel switching section configured to switch a channel used for communication, between a search channel that the search request transmission section uses for communication, and a non-search channel different from the search channel. In this case, the search request transmission section transmits the search request signal when the channel used for communication is the search channel. The channel switching section switches the channel used for communication to the non-search channel when the transmission enabled period has elapsed since the search request signal was transmitted.
According to the above aspect, when the channel used for communication by the search communication apparatus has switched to the non-search channel, the transmission enabled period has been already elapsed, and therefore the search subject communication apparatus does not transmit the search response signal by using the search channel. Therefore, the search response signal which the search communication apparatus cannot receive is not continuously transmitted in vain after the channel of the search communication apparatus has been switched.
In another aspect, the search communication apparatus may further comprise an application execution section configured to execute plural kinds of applications for communicating with another communication apparatus. In this case, the transmission enabled period can be changed with respect to each of the applications.
According to the above aspect, for example, the transmission enabled period can be changed with respect to each communication game (an example of applications) executed in communication with another communication apparatus (game apparatus). Therefore, the transmission enabled period can be set in consideration of the frequency of data communication of each game or the timing of the data communication. Thus, the search subject communication apparatus can transmit the search response signal in a limited period of intervals in the communication game executed by the search communication apparatus.
In another aspect, the search response signal may include identification information about the search subject communication apparatus. In this case, the search communication apparatus establishes communication with the search subject communication apparatus by using the identification information.
According to the above aspect, the search communication apparatus can establish communication with another communication apparatus, based on the search response signal acquired in the search for the other communication apparatus.
In another aspect, the search subject communication apparatus may further comprise a network forming section configured to form a communication network together with another communication apparatus. In this case, the search response signal includes information about the number of communication apparatuses forming the communication network.
According to the above aspect, the search communication apparatus can recognize the number of communication apparatuses included in the communication network that includes the search subject communication apparatus, based on the search response signal acquired in the search for the search subject communication apparatus. Therefore, if a search communication apparatus is to form a communication network together with a large number of communication apparatuses, the search communication apparatus can establish communication with a search subject communication apparatus forming a communication network together with such a large number of communication apparatuses.
In another aspect, the search channel may comprise a plurality of channels. In this case, the channel switching section sequentially switches a channel used when the search request transmission section transmits the search request signal.
According to the above aspect, the search request signals are sequentially transmitted by using a plurality of channels, respectively. Therefore, in the case where a plurality of search subject communication apparatuses using different channels are present around the search communication apparatus, the search request signals can be transmitted by using the respective different channels. Therefore, each of the search subject communication apparatus can receive the search communication signal by using the corresponding channel, and transmit the corresponding search response signal. Thus, the search communication apparatus can search for communication apparatuses, present around the search communication apparatus, that use various channels.
In the above, the exemplary embodiments are described using a communication system as an example. However, the exemplary embodiments may be applied to a communication apparatus, a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a communication program, or a communication method.
According to the exemplary embodiments, it is possible to provide a communication system and the like that are capable of suppressing fruitless communication caused when a communication apparatus searches for another communication apparatus.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the exemplary embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.